Balloon



C.P. FEST.

(No Model.)

BALLOON.

NNN

en Washngwn, D. C4

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.'

CHARLES P. FES'I, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

BALLOON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,963, dated April 4, 1882. Application filed October 10, 1881. (No inodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES P. FEST, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Balloons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in that class of balloons in which the gas or air vessel is elongated, the object ot' my invention being to provide such-a balloon with means whereby better provision is made than in ordinary balloons for directing the course of the same.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section ot' my improved balloon; and Fig. 2, a sectional plan view, on a larger scale, of the steering apparatus.

The inflated vessel consists ot' a bag or receptacle, A, of any of the usual materials, and of elongated form, the vessel being pointed at both ends.

Suspended from the vessel A is a furnace, B, and gallery or basket D for the passengers, the furnace being adapted. for the production of hot air or any buoyant gas, which has direct access to the interior of the vessel A. The rear end of the vessel A is furnished with a short projecting pipe,.d, which communicates freely with the interior of the vessel, and also communicates through an opening, e, with the interior of a cylindrical valve-chest, f, which also communicates through suitable openings with three branches, g, g', and li, the passages g g extending laterally from opposite sides of the chest, and the branch h extending from the rear of the same.

Vithin the chest is a valve, t', having an elongated opening, m, and three ports, n, so that by a proper adjustment of the valve air or gas from the interior of the vessel A may be permitted to escape through `either of the lateral branches gorg ot' the chest f, or through the rear branch, li, ot' the saine; or the air or gas may be cut off altogether from the chest, if desired, by turning thetvalve i to such an extent that the opening m fails to coincide with the opening e.

When the air or gas is permitted to escape from the rear branch, h, it has a certain propeiling effect on the balloon, and when it iS permitted to escape from either of the lateral branches g g the eiieet Will be to move the rear end or stern of the vessel A in the opposite direction, so that by a proper adjustment ofthe valve f the head ot' the vessel may be kept in any direction which the course of the windmay suggest as the most appropriate.

In order to increase the ettect of the escaping air or gas, l cause it to take a spiral-course through the branch from which it escapes, a spiral groove being formed in said branch, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the volume of air or gas in its discharge has an eitect somewhat similar to that which would result it' the branch contained a rotating scre\\'propeller.

I claim as my invention- The within described steering device for aerial vessels, the said device comprising a valve, t', and a valve-chest having discharge branches with spiral grooves, as set forth.

In testimony whercofI have signed my name to this specitication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES `P. FEST. Witnesses:

HARRY DRURY, HARRY SMITH. 

